There are few people who haven’t heard of Seth Godin. He’s the author of some 20 bestselling books that have been translated into more than 35 languages. Tribes, Linchpin, This is Marketing and more – each book has progressed our collective thinking about business, society, culture and change.
The Song of Significance examines the brokenness of 21st Century work and what we can do about it.
“When people feel disrespected, unseen, or unsafe, they can shut down, phoning in the work and doing as little as possible, hoping to simply hold on to their job – at least until a better one comes along.”
This is the ‘quiet quitting’ that Gallup highlights as standing at 72% in Europe in 2023. Exacerbated by the looming threat of AI, it’s clear the psychological contract that once underpinned good work is broken. It’s also clear our current leaders don’t know what to do about it.
The Song of Significance sets out Seth’s vision for creating conditions in which we humans can flourish at work. It’s a timely manifesto for new leadership where all contribution is recognised, nurtured and encouraged.
“Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s a willingness to do things that are so important they’re worth doing even (especially) when we’re feeling the fear.”
It might not be easy, but this is the new leadership work. It’s what will make the difference between profit and loss, between scraping by and flourishing. And it’s never been needed more.
